Backpacking

Incredible India: Trains, Rickshaws and Automobiles | December 24, 2009

On our first full day in India, we headed to downtown Mumbai from our hotel in Vile Parle (which happens to be the neighbourhood where the “God of Bollywood” Amitabh Bachchan also lives).

Mumbai, one of the most populous cities in the world with a population of almost 14 million people, was a little overwhelming to say the least. I’ve always been an urban gal, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the sheer chaos of the intricate train system, the gutsy autorickshaws, the never-ending game of bartering down prices and the overall culture shock.

After some intense shopping where I picked up … Read More »

Incredible India: En Route to Mumbai | December 15, 2009

I just came back from my dream trip to India! (No, I’m not gloating. I’m just grateful for being able to say that). Three and a half weeks were spent wandering through central, north eastern and southern India and my GOD, all the reading and interviewing and research in the world couldn’t have prepared me for the raw and unapologetically chaotic world that is India.

People have often asked me why I decided to go to this land of spices, mythology and aggressive development. My answer is simple: I’ve always been drawn to it. Ever since I was about 9, I … Read More »